Originally posted by SVTMini-Flea:
I agree on the 'fan of fun cars' thing but I really don't see this as a fun car personally. I see it as a good car but not a fun car. Now, a miata, albeit not terrible quick stock, is a fun car cause you can rev it to high heaven and throw it around. The GAGT just kinda sits there.
><>David<><
I was specifically referring to the earlier attempts with the Quad-4. It was a fairly high revving production car, probably as close to 7K as the SVT Contour, certainly in the same neighborhood.
I do agree that the current pushrod V6's, while bullet-proof, are not really fun. If the 2.4L I4 was/is still available, it was a larger, but lower revving and lower powered version of the Quad-4.
I do honestly believe that GM had the "SVT Contour" in the early 90's with the Beretta GTZ and the Quad-4 equipped compact cars such as the Grand-Am and Olds 442 and later the Achieva SCX. Although, probably not on a comparable chassis, but competent, none-the-less.
Check out the car rags from 1987-1990 where the Beretta was favorably compared to the 3er of that day.
They learned what Ford learned half a decade later. Most buyers of American made cars believe there is no replacement for displacement.
So it's not like GM doesn't have modern multivalve powerplants, they just choose to install what their customers want, bigger torqey V6's.
Alas, I realize I'm living in the past of GM, as well as for Ford, and the Contour is past tense as far as Ford is concerned.
So in the business world, the Grand Am wins. The loser is the car enthusiast.
Sorry,
TB
